Neoregelia plant named ‘Tatiana’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Neoregelia  plant named ‘Tatiana’, characterized by its upright and outwardly arching growth habit; broad glossy green and purple-colored lower leaves; broad glossy red purple-colored upper leaves; good interiorscape and landscape performance; and resistance to leaf spotting pathogens.

Botanical designation: Neoregelia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘TATIANA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofNeoregelia plant, botanically known as Neoregelia hybrid, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Tatiana’.

The new Neoregelia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Princeton, Fla. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new Neoregelia plants with uniquelycolored leaves.

The new Neoregelia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2002 in Princeton, Fla. of Neoregelia hybrid ‘Purple Star’,not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Neoregelia hybrid‘Autumn Leaves’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newNeoregelia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleplant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Princeton, Fla. in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Neoregelia plant by offsets in acontrolled environment in Princeton, Fla. since 2003, has shown that theunique features of this new Neoregelia plant are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Neoregelia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Tatiana’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Tatiana’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofNeoregelia:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly arching growth habit.    -   2. Broad glossy green and purple-colored lower leaves.    -   3. Broad glossy red purple-colored upper leaves.    -   4. Good interiorscape and landscape performance.    -   5. Resistant to leaf spotting pathogens.

Plants of the new Neoregelia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent, ‘Purple Star’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia have broader leaves than plants        of ‘Purple Star’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Neoregelia develop their purple        to red purple coloration months earlier than plants of ‘Purple        Star’.    -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia are more resistant to fungal        pathogens especially under hot and wet conditions than plants of        ‘Purple Star’.

Plants of the new Neoregelia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent, ‘Autumn Leaves’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia do not require flower bud        initiation to develop leaf coloration whereas plants of ‘Autumn        Leaves’ require flower bud initiation to develop leaf        coloration.    -   2. Lower leaves of plants of the new Neoregelia are purple in        color whereas lower leaves of plants of ‘Autumn Leaves’ are        green to bronze in color.    -   3. Upper leaves of plants of the new Neoregelia are red purple        in color whereas upper leaves of plants of ‘Autumn Leaves’ are        pink in color.

Plants of the new Neoregelia can be compared to plants of the Neoregelia‘Royal Burgundy’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inPrinceton, Fla., plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘Royal Burgundy’differed primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia had broader leaves than plants        of ‘Royal Burgundy’.    -   2. Plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘Royal Burgundy’ differed in        leaf coloration.

Plants of the new Neoregelia can also be compared to plants of theNeoregelia ‘Purple Rain’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Princeton, Fla., plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘PurpleRain’ differed primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia had broader leaves than plants        of ‘Purple Rain’.    -   2. Plants of the new Neoregelia did not require flower bud        initiation to develop leaf coloration whereas plants of ‘Purple        Rain’ required flower bud initiation to develop leaf coloration.    -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘Purple Rain’ differed in        leaf coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Neoregelia plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Neoregelia plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a side perspective view ofa typical flowering plant of ‘Tatiana’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a top perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Tatiana’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe flowering plants grown during the spring in 15-cmcontainers in a polypropylene-covered greenhouse in Princeton, Fla.under commercial Neoregelia production practices. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 32° C., nighttemperatures ranged from 7° C. to 32° C. and light levels averaged 3,200foot-candles. Plants were one year old when the photographs anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Neoregelia hybrid ‘Tatiana’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Neoregelia hybrid ‘Purple Star’,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Neoregelia hybrid ‘Autumn Leaves’,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By offsets.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 30 days at 28° C. to            30° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 50 to 60 days at            28° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            months at 28° C. to 30° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            months at 18° C. to 22° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; brown to tan            in color, apices yellow in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and outwardly arching            growth habit; rosette leaves are erect when young, becoming            outwardly arching with development; plants readily produce            uniform offsets; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 43 cm.        -   Internode length.—About 4 mm.        -   Stem texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Stem color.—Close to NN155B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Rosette, spiral phyllotaxis; simple; sessile,            clasping.        -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Serrate; spinose.        -   Length.—About 26 cm.        -   Width, mid-section.—About 7.8 cm.        -   Width, base.—About 10 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous; leathery; longitudinally ribbed.        -   Luster.—Glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.        -   Color.—Lower leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A            irregularly overlain with stripes and splotches close to            187A; towards the base, close to 186A to 186B; venation,            close to 146A. Lower leaves, lower surface: Close to N186C;            towards the apex, close to 187A; venation, close to 148A.            Upper leaves, upper surface: Close to 71A; towards the apex,            close to 187A; venation, close to 71A. Upper leaves, lower            surface: Close to 72A; venation, close to 72A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence form.—Terminal flat-topped compact corymb            located inside the leaf rosette; about 92 flowers develop            per inflorescence.        -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about ten to twelve            weeks after planting; plants flower naturally during the            spring in Florida.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three            days on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 6.4 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.        -   Flower size.—Length: About 5.1 cm. Diameter: About 9 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Shape: Narrowly elongate. Color: Close to 91B.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Three in a single whorl. Shape:            Oblanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close            to 94B. When opening, lower surface: Close to 94D. Fully            opened, upper surface: Close to NN155D; towards the apex,            close to 94A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to NN155D;            towards the apex, close to 94D.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: One. Shape:            Oblanceolate. Length: About 3.4 cm. Width: About 8 mm.            Texture: Membraneous. Color: Close to 145A and 157D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Three in a single whorl. Shape:            Oblanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 145C.            Color, lower surface: Close to 145A to 145B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1.7 cm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to NN155C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect to somewhat            outward and curving upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to 155D.        -   Stamens.—Quantity per flower: Six. Filament length: About            1.6 cm; partially adnate to the petals. Filament color:            Close to NN155D. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length:            About 6 mm Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen amount:            Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 158B.        -   Pistils.—Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            3.7 cm. Stigma shape: Oval, elongated. Stigma color: Close            to NN155C. Style length: About 2.2 cm. Style color: Close to            NN155D. Ovary color: Close to NN155B.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production have not been observed            on plants of the new Neoregelia.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 2° C. to about    37° C.-   Interior & garden performance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have    been observed to have good postproduction longevity under interior    conditions and to have good garden performance.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have been    observed to be resistant to leaf spotting during periods of hot and    rainy weather. Resistance to pests and other pathogens common to    Neoregelia plants has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Neoregelia plant named ‘Tatiana’ asillustrated and described.